A possible mountain lion sighting was reported Sunday afternoon near the western edge of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, hours after officials said a mountain lion seen in the Panhandle was believed to have left the area.
The latest report came around 3 p.m. near 44th Avenue and Fulton Street. Animal Care and Control officers and park personnel searched the area after the report, but the animal was not located. Officials have not confirmed that the animal seen Sunday was a mountain lion.
The report followed a confirmed sighting Saturday near Fell and Baker streets, where a mountain lion was observed in a tree in the Panhandle. San Francisco Animal Care and Control, city park officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife monitored the area into the night.
State wildlife officials were called to the scene Saturday but did not personally see the animal. Peter Tira of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that did not necessarily mean the mountain lion had not been there.
By Sunday morning, authorities had cleared the Panhandle and said they believed the animal had safely moved away from the area. Officials said the lion appeared to have an opportunity to leave through a natural corridor rather than becoming trapped or cornered.
The location of Sunday’s reported sighting has added to the possibility that the animal could have been moving west through Golden Gate Park toward the coast. Wildlife officials said mountain lions can travel north from the Peninsula and move through areas of connected habitat.
San Francisco has seen another mountain lion incident this year. In January, a mountain lion was found in the Pacific Heights area, where it was eventually captured and transported back to a natural environment.
The current animal has not been confirmed to be the same type of young mountain lion seen earlier in the year, and officials have not established exactly where it went after leaving the Panhandle.
Authorities are continuing to ask people to use caution if they encounter a mountain lion. Residents should avoid approaching the animal, should not run, and should keep children close and dogs on a leash. Anyone who sees a mountain lion in San Francisco is encouraged to report the sighting to Animal Care and Control.
For now, the Sunday report near 44th Avenue and Fulton Street remains unconfirmed, while officials believe the mountain lion involved in Saturday’s incident has moved away from the Panhandle and may be heading back toward more natural habitat.
